STRONG START FOR RCH YOSHIMURA SUZUKI AT HANGTOWN AMA MX

RCH Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing kicked-off the 2017 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship with a pair of solid outings as the 2017 outdoor season got underway on Saturday afternoon at the 49th Hangtown Motocross Classic at Prairie City State Vehicle Recreation Area in America.

RCH riders Broc Tickle and Justin Bogle showed the way for the Suzuki brand aboard their RM-Z450s, with each turning-in solid performances: Tickle, in his first race since injuring his wrist last month, finished seventh in both premier 450 class motos to earn him a fifth-place overall finish, while Bogle came home 10th overall on the strength of an 8-10 effort on the day.

Said Tickle: “Hangtown went pretty well. Obviously, for being off the bike for two weeks and not training, to come out of Hangtown with a fifth overall and a 7-7 finish, is a great day and I’m really happy with the bike. The track was gnarly and tough so I’m stoked with our finish. It’s a great finish to build-off of. I think we’ve got a ton of potential. Podiums are totally attainable each and every weekend as long as I get good starts. “

Tickle qualified sixth for first race of the 12-round championship and rounded the first corner of the first 30-minute-plus-two-laps moto eighth in the running order. The Lake Elsinore, California resident spent the first 12 minutes tracking down seventh place and ultimately made the pass for position with 18 minutes left in the first moto. After the pass, Tickle settled in and held his ground for the remainder of the opening 450 Class moto of the season.

Bogle was 13th immediately following the first Pro Motocross gate drop, but the Cushing, Oklahoma rider had his sights set on the top-10. He worked his way up near the halfway mark of the first moto and grabbed two more spots inside the top-10 before the flag.

Back at the gate for the second moto of the day, Tickle was determined to get a better start and so was his team-mate. Both riders bettered their opening gate-drop of the season and exited the first corner in prime position to have a competitive second race of the day.

With temperatures topping-out near 100 degrees and the rough, choppy track providing more challenges than just their fellow riders, Tickle and Bogle rose to the occasion. Much like the first moto, both riders rode smart races, stayed out of trouble and were rewarded with respectable finishes. Tickle matched his first finish of the day with a second seventh-place effort while Bogle was credited with 10th.

“It’s a solid way to start the season with a top-10 result,” said Bogle. “My goal coming into the race was a top 10 and I ended up 10th overall. It’s something to build-on and something to work with. I’ve made some changes to my program recently. I know it’s not going to happen overnight but this is something to get started with. We got out of Hangtown, where I’ve never really had good luck, with decent points. We’ll go from here. We’ll keep building and hopefully keep progressing. As far as Hangtown went, first moto, I charged through, passed some guys and ended up eighth. Second moto was a little tougher. It was hot, so it was tough and the track was super gnarly and I ended up 10th. We’ll take it and keep building.”